Kavaliauskas-Arriaza Winner Could Be Next Foe For Crawford
Posted: 14 Oct 2018, 17:04
Bob Arum admits he would rather match Terence Crawford against Errol Spence Jr. or another welterweight champion next.
In the likely event that typical boxing obstacles prevent any of those fights from happening next, Arum acknowledges that Egidijus Kavaliauskas is toward the top of the list of Crawford’s possible opponents in 2019. Like Crawford (35-0, 24 KOs), Lithuania’s Kavaliauskas is promoted by Arum’s company, Top Rank Inc.
The 30-year-old Kavaliauskas (20-0, 16 KOs) could make an upcoming shot at Crawford’s WBO welterweight title even more likely by winning a 12-round, 147-pound elimination match November 16 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Kavaliauskas will encounter Nicaragua’s Roberto Arriaza (17-0, 13 KOs) that night in a bout ESPN+ will stream as part of the Maurice Hooker-Alex Saucedo undercard. Dallas’ Hooker (24-0-3, 16 KOs) will make the first defense of his WBO junior welterweight title in the main event that night against Oklahoma City’s Saucedo (28-0, 18 KOs), his mandatory challenger.
Kavaliauskas is ranked No. 2 by the WBO among its welterweight contenders. The unbeaten but untested Arriaza, 28, is rated No. 7 by the WBO.
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In the likely event that typical boxing obstacles prevent any of those fights from happening next, Arum acknowledges that Egidijus Kavaliauskas is toward the top of the list of Crawford’s possible opponents in 2019. Like Crawford (35-0, 24 KOs), Lithuania’s Kavaliauskas is promoted by Arum’s company, Top Rank Inc.
The 30-year-old Kavaliauskas (20-0, 16 KOs) could make an upcoming shot at Crawford’s WBO welterweight title even more likely by winning a 12-round, 147-pound elimination match November 16 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Kavaliauskas will encounter Nicaragua’s Roberto Arriaza (17-0, 13 KOs) that night in a bout ESPN+ will stream as part of the Maurice Hooker-Alex Saucedo undercard. Dallas’ Hooker (24-0-3, 16 KOs) will make the first defense of his WBO junior welterweight title in the main event that night against Oklahoma City’s Saucedo (28-0, 18 KOs), his mandatory challenger.
Kavaliauskas is ranked No. 2 by the WBO among its welterweight contenders. The unbeaten but untested Arriaza, 28, is rated No. 7 by the WBO.
Read more